Sock liner arch support



Feb. 16, 1937. STEMMONS R 2,070,814-

SOCK LINER ARCH SUPPORT Filed July 22, 19:55

Patented Feb. 16, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFIcE 2 Claims.

This invention relates to what are termed sock liner arch supports of that class for application to finished shoes as distinguished from insoles applied as one of the regular steps of shoe manufacture. The provision of cushions for the more comfortable support of the arch, heel and ball of the foot, is conventional and to such features broadly or broadly as elements of the sock liner, I make no claim. My object is to produce a sock liner having permanent or non-detachable cushioned heel and metatarsal supports, and a pocket for a detachable cushion of the shank portion of the device, the mouth of the pocket occurring at the inner longitudinal edge of the shank. A further object is to provide the sock liner with a laterally opening tapering pocket capable of accommodating arch support cushions of different thickness for the comfortable support of feet having arches of different height.

With the objects mentioned in view, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction and arrangement as hereinafter described and claimed; and in order that it may be fully understood, reference is to be had to the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure l is a top plan view of a sock liner embodying the invention.

Figure 2 is an inverted plan view of the same.

Figure 3 is an inside edge view of the same.

Figure 4 is a detail perspective view of the bottom member of the sock liner.

Figure 5 is a detail perspective view of the pocket pad.

Referring to the drawing in detail, I, 2 and 3 1 respectively indicate bottom, intermediate and top members of the sock liner, the said members being of thin flexible leather or its equivalent.

The top member is of contour and size to substantially correspond to the upper surface of the sole or insole of a shoe, from the rear end of the heel to a point forward of that subjected to the pressure applied by the ball of the foot shod with such shoe, and also has a lateral arcuate wing or extension 4 to act as an arch support for the foot at a point which in ordinary machine-lasted shoes particularly, is usually lacking in eflicient supporting function.

The intermediate member conforms in contour and size to the top member, except that it terminates a little short of the front end of the top member, so that the latter forward of the intermediate member, may lie flatly upon the sole or insole of the shoe and avoid the provision of a cross ridge sufficiently high to be noticeable and hence uncomfortable to the wearer of the shoe, the intermediate member having a wing or extension 411. corresponding to and adapted to reinforce wing or extension 4, in the finished article.

The bottom member has heel, shank and sole Y portions, the heel and shank portions conforming in contour and size to the corresponding portions of the top and intermediate members. The ball portion 5 is of reduced width but of area to completely underlie the metatarsal of the foot. In the manufacture of the sock liner, the top and intermediate members are respectively oppositely bossed in their heel and ball portions, by molding or otherwise. The bosses II and 12 of the top member project upward, whereas the bosses l and 9 of the intermediate member project downward. The bosses H and I and I2 and 9, correspond in contour and coincide in position so that when said members are fitted flatly together, the cooperating bosses provide relatively shallow heel and metatarsal chambers. The bottom member is provided with depending heel and ball bossed portions 6 and 8 to provide cavities in its upper side, and when said member is in place,

said cavities respectively receive the bosses l and 9, of the intermediate member and said bottom member is also formed with a depressed portion H} which tapers from the inner toward the outer edge of the instep portion, and at the inner edge thereof the said member is cut out or slit at H to form a pocket and provide a mouth of the full width of the pocket thus formed.

Preliminarily, the bottom member is fitted to the underside of the intermediate member with the bossed portions of the latter fitted within the cavities of the former, and the two members are secured together by tapering lines It of stitching, the edge of the bottom member being also fastened to the intermediate member adjacent the mouth of the pocket, by stitching l5.

The two members 2 and 3, are then fitted together with sponge rubber or equivalent cushions l3 and I4 within and snugly filling the chambers made by bossed portions ll l and 9-42 respectively, and said members are fastened permanently together and to the bottom member, by a line of stitching 2|] following and adjacent the margin of the intermediate member except where the arch wing or extension 4a occurs, as at that point the line of stitching is across the base of the wing on a curve conforming to the corresponding portion of a shoe adapted to receive the sock liner. By thus stitching the members it is possible to spread the wings apart to permit a cushion (not shown) to be interposed.

In in After the top and intermediate members are thus permanently united, a cross line 20a of stitching unites the member adjacent the front edge of the heel portion. A second line of stitching 2| unites the members, marginally of member 2 and adjacent the line 20, for additional securement. A line 22 of stitching is then run through all of the members around and close to the margin of the cushion for the metatarsal joints. The sock liner is then complete and ready for application to a shoe. If anxinner longitudinal arch or instep cushion is to be used, such as shown at 18, it is fitted in the pocket, and if it is desired-to guard against possibility of dislocation from or shifting of the sock liner in a shoe, the latter may carry bottom coatings 23 of adhesive to be moistened prior to insertion of the sock liner, so that the latter shall adhere to the sole or insole of the shoe.

When the sock liner is fitted in place, the arch wing, composed of parts 4 and 4a, will bend or flexupward under the resistance offered by the inner side wall of the shoe and will serve, as customary, as an arch support, especially desirable in ordinary machine-lasted shoes in which it frequently happens there lacks close contact between the inner side wall of a shoe and the foot within the latter, and to comfortably adapt the sock liner to foot arches of varying height, provision is made for'the use of arch cushions l8 of different thickness; If desired the sock liner may have openings 24 for ventilation purposes.

' From the above description, it will be apparent that I have produced a sock liner of simple and durable but cheap construction possessing the features of advantage set forth as objectives, and it is apparent that it is susceptible of minor changes'within the spirit and scope of the appended claims and without the ambit of the prior art.

I claim:

1. A sock liner arch support, comprising a thin flexible top member of contour corresponding to the heel and ball-portion of the sole of a shoe,

and having at its inner longitudinal margin a lateral extension running forward from the front end of the heel portion, and provided coincidentally with the latter with an upward embossment providing a downwardly-facing cavity, and provided also with an upward embossment providing a downwardly-facing cavity corresponding in location to the forward metatarsal joints of the foot; an intermediate member underlying and fitting flatwise against and substantially conforming in contour and width with but slightly shorter than the top member and provided with a lateral extension corresponding substantially in size and contour to and underlying the lateral extension of the top member, and provided with depending bossed portions providing upwardlyfacing heel and metatarsal cavities corresponding in size and contour to the corresponding cavities of the top member; and a bottom member having heel and ball portions bossed downward and providing cavities respectively receiving the downward. bossed heel and ball portions of the intermediate member, the bottom member being permanently stitched tothe intermediate member transversely at spaced points adjacent to the front end of the heel and metatarsal embossments, the portion of the bottom member between said spaced stitching points, being depressed between the si-de marginal edges of said member and provided with a slit extending longitudinally of the insole in proximity to its inner edge; a transverse line of stitching permanently uniting the bottom and intermediate members in proximity to the heel portions thereof; cushions fitted in the oppositely-facing cavities of the intermediate and top members, a marginal line of stitching permanently connecting the top and intermediate members and the heel and shank portion of the bottom member, a line of stitching uniting allof the members closely around the metatarsal-joint cavities thereof, and a cushion fitted between the intermediate and bottom members within the cavity of the latter accessible through the slit thereof.

2. A sock liner arch support, comprising a thin flexible top member of contour corresponding to the heel and ball-portion of the sole of a shoe, and having at its inner longitudinal margin a lateral extension running forward from the front end of the heel portion, and provided coincidentally with the latter with an upward embossment providing a downwardly-facing cavity, and provided also with an upward embossment providing a downwardly-facing cavity corresponding in location to the forward metatarsal joints of the foot; an intermediate member underlying and fitting flatwise against and substantially conforming in contour and width with but slightly shorter than the top member and provided with a lateral extension corresponding substantially in size and contour to and underlying the lateral extension of the top member, and provided with depending bossed portions providing upwardlyfacing heel and metatarsal cavities corresponding in size and contour to the corresponding cavities of the top member; and a bottom member having heel and ball portions bossed downward and providing cavities respectively receiving the downward bossed heel and ball portions of the intermediate member, the three members being permanently stitched together at the front end of the heel and marginally around the metatarsal embossments, the shank part of the bottom member being depressed and stitched along its outer edge to the other members to provide a pocket accessible at the inner edge of the shank; cushions fitted in the oppositely-facing cavities of the intermediate and top members, a marginal line of stitching permanently connecting the top and intermediate members and the heel and shank portion of the bottom member, a line of stitching uniting all of the members closely around the metatarsal-joint cavities thereof, and a cushion fitted between the intermediate. and bottom members within the cavity of the latter accessible through the mouth thereof.

CLARENCE H. STEMMONS. 

